Rye IPA
Rivertowne Brewing

In my increasing old age, I must now make quarterly trips to the Hershey Medical Center & since I do not drive, this means coming through Harrisburg. I try to make the most of the shot day by visiting various places in our state capital, including the infamous Shady McGrady's in Midtown. The owner had some former employees that committed arson & shut them down for a period of time. I CAN usually find something new & interesting for The CANQuest (tm) while there & this is one example.

From the CAN: "India Pale Ale".

Another one that knows precisely what it is. Gotta respect that in a beer! I beCAN with a Crack! & a Glug to see what was what in Whoville. Things went pretty smoothly, but I stirred things up with an in-glass swirl. This raised two-plus fingers of dense, foamy, rocky, light-tan head with great retention. Color was solid Amber (SRM = > 7, < 9) with NE-quality clarity. Nose was everything that I look for in a Rye beer: earthy, woody, spicy, minty. It is a very earthy malt that CAN really make a beer, if utilized properly. This smelled like it was going to be a good time. Mouthfeel was big, full & creamy. The taste was full-on Rye! OMFG! The taste was like attending an orchestral CANcert & listening to it slowly build to a mind-blowing crescendo. It beCAN with a wooden earthiness, like lumber being cut right after falling the tree. The buzzsaw slowly died down & stopped as a black pepperiness sprinkled itself throughout my mouth and sinus cavity, literally causing me to sneeze in response. The finish was a revelation all its own, cool, dry & minty, as though I had been drinking mouthwash! Holy …! If you were curious about the resurgence of rye in both beer & whiskey, then look no further than this beer. Rye is a historic grain, the cause of the Whiskey Rebellion in western PA during the pre-Revolutionary era & one that is making a comeback in a big way.